Fotokommission VSETH/VSUZH Courses

Landscape photography is a genre that is beginner friendly since it has comparatively low technical and gear requirements. The slow pace and the necessity of closely observing Nature add a meditative and relaxing quality to it. While the entry requirements are minimal, there's a lot to consider and a large number of techniques that will help you produce your own wall prints and conversation starters from your next adventure... All you need is a camera and sometimes the motivation to get up early or hike to beautiful places.

This course assumes some familiarity with a camera and basic knowledge of photography but the beauty of landscape photography is the fact that even a smartphone can capture an amazing picture if you know how to effectively use lighting and composition. Landscape photography is inclusive and almost anything with a decent camera like modern smartphones, point-and-shoot, retro/film, DSLR, the latest and greatest Mirrorless systems and even drones are all welcome :)

We will cover all the basics starting from the technical side and choosing optimal camera settings and then move on to the creative and planning aspects of landscape photography, given how important lighting and seasonal variations are for this genre. The third day will include a photo critique and discussion session based on your submissions on technical as well as the creative aspects. Having attended other Fotokommission courses like Basics of Photography and Digital Photography is encouraged but not necessary.

All of the course content is supported by extensively annotated example photos and detailed slides. While classically people associate wide focal lengths for landscape photography, we will discuss techniques that will help you work with wide as well as telephoto/zoom lenses. We will also discuss a lot of possible natural phenomenona and photo-worthy lighting conditions that you can use to add that little 'extra' to your photos. Editing is a big part of landscape photography and we will discuss some techniques and the main ideas and motivations specific to landscape photography through examples, although there won't be a hands-on editing tutorial in this course (check out the Editing course in the Fotokommission course catalog for that :)